It’s day twenty-three of our Art Blogmas today. I’m sad we’re slowly coming to an end. But I hope you have enjoyed it so far! Today, we’re going to see a lovely work made by Caspar David Friedrich – The Sea of Ice.
Art Blogmas 2022
Caspar David Friedrich was a German painter who lived in the 19th century and mostly painted Romantic landscapes. His landscapes are usually mystical and allegorical, showing the fog or the night skies. In style with the time he lived, Friedrich also loved to include Gothic architecture in his landscape paintings.
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Caspar David Friedrich – The Sea of Ice
However, the painting we’re hosting today, The Sea of Ice, is somewhat different. He painted the shipwreck in the Arctic. This painting was so unusual for the 19th century that he didn’t manage to sell it during his life.
At that time, German newspapers were reporting about a few expeditions to the Arctic, and Friedrich probably got inspired by them.
His winter landscape absolutely stands out among the other Romantic landscapes. Friedrich wanted to show the deadly nature of the Arctic. Although the main focus is on sharp icebergs, we can see a shipwreck on the right-hand side of the painting. His message is that nature is always going to be stronger than men.
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Friedrich’s choice of colours is also interesting for winter landscapes. The upper part of the painting is mostly covered in ice blue and white. While the lower part is covered with shades of brown.
If you don’t want to miss other paintings I will share with you in this year’s Art Blogmas, be sure to check in here tomorrow morning. Or, follow along on the Culture Tourist Facebook page and Instagram profile.